Website design By BotEap.comIn child custody cases throughout the United States and in divorce cases, the preferred method in most states is for the parents to be awarded joint legal custody. With Joint Legal Custody, both parents have access to school records, medical records, and the decision-making process of the child’s life, however, this is not exactly a reality for the non-custodial parent who is usually the father.

Website design By BotEap.comParents are often left out of the decision-making process and stick with what the custodial parent decides and this is often difficult, if not impossible, to do wrong. Parents are often restricted in how often they see their children, and sometimes judges won’t even listen to parents in their requests for more parenting time outside of the “every other weekend” standard. which is not fair. I wouldn’t want to see my kids only on alternate weekends, why should other parents? You should not.

Website design By BotEap.comIt is my belief in my heart that if both parents are capable of caring for the children, the father should be able to have as close to 50% of the parenting time as possible, especially if the parties live very close to each other. As a parent and as a lawyer, I sincerely believe that there is no legitimate excuse for keeping a parent away from his or her children except every other weekend. no apologies.

Website design By BotEap.comOne way to achieve this is with cooperation. If both parties act like children or disrespect each other, it is very difficult to have true joint custody/joint residential custody. You get more with honey than with vinegar. I really understand that sometimes the tension is too great for cooperation, but even so, the parent must push to share parenting time. A child is by far a person’s greatest asset and if a person does not realize this, he should not have custody to begin with.

Website design By BotEap.comThe good news is that family law court in the United States is becoming more and more diverse. On the bench there are men and women of all colors and of the new generation where both men and women work, both fathers and mothers and are very involved in raising their children. This perspective helps a non-custodial parent achieve better results, but it is never certain, a competent attorney is highly effective.

Website design By BotEap.comNon-custodial, responsible parents deserve true joint custody, not the fallacy that joint custody has become today.